The ability to sense and accurately determine the speed of an object can be critical especially in a sports environment. Depending on the sport, different types of measuring devices are available. Traditionally the device determining the speed of the object or other parameters, such as accuracy, is separate from the object itself. For example radar guns are often used to determine the speed of a baseball or hockey puck. These types of devices however are expensive and require additional people to operate. Typically these types of devices are not available to the average consumer or for amateur sports and are relegated to the professional. Furthermore the majority of these devices only offer a single function or mode.
Prior art speed determining devices have been devised to address some of the noted problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,096 issued on Jun. 2, 1998 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,643 which issued on Aug. 31, 1999 to David Zakutin relate to a speed-sensing projectile such as for example a baseball includes a generally spherical body. An inertial switch is positioned within the body and is actuable between open and closed conditions in response to accelerations of the body greater than a threshold value. A processor also within the body is responsive to the inertial switch and calculates the average speed at which the baseball is thrown over a fixed distance. A visible display on the body is in communication with the processor and displays the calculated speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,086 which issued on Jun. 6, 2000 to Dave Marinelli relates to a device for measuring the time of flight, speed, and trajectory height of a projectile, such as a baseball, football, hockey puck, or model rocket, or the time and speed of swing of a movable object, such as a baseball bat or golf club. Part of the device, called the object unit, is embedded, secured, or attached to the projectile or movable object of interest, and consists of an acceleration sensor, threshold circuit, and a radio transmitter. The other part of the device, called the monitor unit, is held or worn by the user and serves as the user interface for the device. The monitor unit has a radio receiver, a processor, an input keypad, and a display that shows the various measured motion characteristics of the projectile or movable object, such as distance, time of flight, speed, and trajectory height, and allows the user to input data to the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,563 which issued on Nov. 21, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,271 which issued on Nov. 14, 2000 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,898 which issued on Dec. 5, 2000 to David Marinelli all relate to a device for measuring a movable object, such as a baseball, football, hockey puck, soccer ball, tennis ball, bowling ball, or a golf ball. Part of the device, called the object unit, is embedded, secured, or attached to the movable object of interest, and has a spin detection circuit, electronic processor circuit, magnetic field sensor circuit, and a radio transmitter. The other part of the device, called the monitor unit, is held or worn by the user and serves as the user interface for the device. The monitor unit has a radio receiver, a processor, an input keypad, and an output display that shows the various measured motion characteristics of the movable object, such as the time of flight, speed, trajectory height, spin rate, or curve of the movable object, and allows the user to input data to the device.
Prior art devices however are not suited to certain sports where the object is subject to extreme impact, for example where the object is a hockey puck. Thus a speed sensing object that can withstand high impact and other extreme conditions while remaining operable and has a variety of modes is desirable.